3 Easy Ways to Remember Guitar String Names

Puzzled over memorizing those confusing guitar string names and the order in which they are present on the instrument? Not anymore, as this Buzzle article shall teach you how to understand and remember them, with the help of some easy ways and methods.

Useful TipRegardless of a different tuning by which you might play your instrument, always remember the string names according to the universal or standard tuning, i.e., EBGDAE from bottom to top, and vice versa.

Some refer to it as EADGBE, while others call it EBGDAE; for a beginner who is learning the guitar, it is always confusing to remember the names of guitar strings, especially while tuning them. Though most times it is better to design your own methods for this issue, some of the tried and tested ones are also quite useful for learning this instrument efficiently in your amateur days.

There are a number of techniques that can be used for this task. Most people like making acronyms and/or mnemonics, which include both the string identities as well as their positions. Assigning numbers is also favored for the same. Others simply repeat the names in order several times everyday till the time they cannot be easily forgotten!

The standard naming of acoustic/electric guitars, and four and five-string bass guitars is given in the following images:

String Names of Acoustic/Electric Guitar

String Names of Four-string Bass Guitar

String Names of Five-string Bass Guitar

Easy Ways to Remember Guitar String Names

The Numbering Method

In this technique, you have assign specific numbers for each string by maintaining their positional order. For example, if you want to memorize or learn the strings of an acoustic or electric guitar, then assign numbers 1 to 6 to each of the strings. You can either start from the top or the bottom, depending on your convenience. But make sure to maintain the same order. This is represented in the following manner:

Numbering System of Guitar Strings

In the image given above, each letter represents one string along with its specific number. In the second portion, the string position remains same but the numbering becomes exactly opposite, i.e., the lowermost E string is now the 6th one.

The Acronym and Mnemonic Method

This is a very creative way to memorize and learn the string names, be it an acoustic, electric, or even a bass guitar. An acronym stands for the short form of a longer phrase or name of a particular entity: in this case, the acronyms are EBGDAE, EADGBE, GDAE, etc. Make a simple acronym of six words using a mnemonic; the 1st letter of every word, read in order, will stand for each of the guitar string names. A mnemonic is a creative way that makes it easier to remember, and being quite appealing, it also gets stuck in your head easily. You can even memorize the guitar string notes using this method.

Some of the best acronyms for used for string naming of acoustic/electric guitars are given below. All the highlighted letters are the respective guitar string names.

Acoustic/Electric Guitars

From Low to High Frequency Strings

Every Amateur Does Get Better Eventually

Easter Angels Don't Give Broken Eggs

Elephants And Donkeys Grow Big Ears

Each Apple Does Get Bitten Eventually

Every Average Dude Gets Better Eventually

From High to Low Frequency Strings

Every Body Goes Down An Escalator

Every Beer Got Drank At Earl's

Easter Bunnies Get Drunk At Easter

Elvis' Big Great Dane Ate Everything

Every Big Girl Deserves An Elephant

The By-heart Method

If everything fails, simply learn the string names by-heart; say it repeatedly in you head: EBGDAE, EBGDAE, or EADGBE, EADGBE. In case of bass guitars, it will be GDAE, GDAEB, or even GDAEBG (for 6-string basses). You will surely remember this, as the names will now be stuck in your head forever!

Whatever way is used to memorize and learn all the guitar string names, never start or end without the standard order in which they are positioned and played. This order mostly is that of the standard tuning, but also might vary if you drop-tune your guitar to different frequencies.